On Monday I featured Olde Gnarly Wine from Lagunitas Brewing Company as part of our celebration of Beer Day. Gnarly Wine has a history of placing well at Barleywine festivals such as the one recently held here in the Bay Area at the Toronado. The entry that took home 3rd place this year was a 2008 vintage. Sadly, you can't buy these anywhere, not easily, but you can plan ahead.
Currently, the 2010 edition of Gnarly Wine is available on shelves wherever Lagunitas can be found across the United States. If you plan to experience Gnarly Wine in the way it has been winning awards, it is best to store the beer as you would a bottle of wine; somewhere cool and dark. There is one exception, beer should be stored vertically.
For those accustomed to drinking lagers or hop driven beers, the idea of storing a beer may seem foreign. For the most part, beer is best enjoyed as fresh as possible. Barleywines, and a few other stronger styles, were traditionally aged for long periods of time by the brewers. In a modern economy, what would have been stored on premise for a year or more, is now bottled with only a few weeks of conditioning. The beer is still completely drinkable, and enjoyable, but it's not quite the same.
When you open your bottle of aged Gnarly Wine, be sure to have a proper glass for the occasion. For a barleywine or other strong ales, a snifter as used for brandy is ideal, while red wine glasses will also work fine.
Once in the glass, the 2008 Gnarly Wine has a much different appearance. What was a clear amber, red beer has become more cloudy. The aroma has changed as well, full of cherries, dark fruits and sherry. Rich malt flavors of caramel, cherries and dark ripe fruit wash over the mouth. The beer is thick, and coats the tongue before slowly sliding away. The hoppiness of the fresh batch has faded from the aroma and finish and is noticeable mostly against the sweetness of the malt in the flavor. This beer leaves a bitterness mingling with the burn of the alcohol that turns into a sweet and sour play that urges to to continue drinking.
For more information on aging beer, visit the monthly beer blogging event called The Session. This months topic is on aging beer and when do you actually take the time to pull that special bottle out. Hopefully, in 2 years, you'll be faced with a similar dilemma with your collection of Gnarly Wine.
Comments
I love Lagunitas, but have never had an Olde Gnarly Wine. I may need to add this to my collection... I guess that means I'll need to drink something else to avoid over-cellaring!
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